John k



(No Model.)

J. K. CLARK.

DOOR LATCH.

No. 344,722. Patented June .29, 1886.

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JOHN K. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NIHV YORK.

DOOR-LATCH.

BPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,722, dated June 29,1886. Application filed November 27, 1885. Serial No. 184,033. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a door fastening or latch adapted to hold adoor in its closed position, and capable of yielding upon theapplication of aslight pull on the doorin opening it without requiringthe turning of a knob or the employment of any lever or other device foracting on the latch.

The invention consists of a vertically lllOVZ); ble or oscillatingspringlatch, which is pivoted at one end within any ordinary lock-case,and has a beveled end projecting therefrom and adapted to engage abeveled catch or striker on door-frame, the door being arranged to openunder a slight pull on a rigid or immovable knob or handle that isindependent of the locking and latching mechanism.

In the annexed drawings,illustrating the in-' vention, Figure 1 is aperspective View showing a portion ofa door and its frame with myimproved fastening applied and ready to r use. Fig. 2 represents an edgeview of the striker or keeper-plate and a side view of the lock-case,

partly broken away to show the pivoted ver tically-oscillatingspring-latch. Fig. 3 is a front view of the keeper-plate and striker.Fig. 4 is apcrspcctive View of the spring-latch.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a lock-case, which is preferablyrnortised into a door, as usual. This lock has a key-bolt, l3, and maybe of any ordinary or well-known construction.

In the lock-case A is pivoted a verticallymovable latch or dog, 0, thefree end of which projects through an opening, a, in the edge of saidcase. On the upper side of this latch or dog 0 is a guide-pin, I), for aspiral spring, 0, by which thelatch is seated. The projecting end of thelatch O is somewhat enlarged, as shown in Fig. 4, and is formed withabeveled lug, d, for engaging a double-inclined striker, c, on the faceof the bolt and latclrkeeper f, which is mortised into the door-frame D,as usual. This keeper is slotted at g,for passage of the key-bolt.

Itis also countersunk at h in rear of and above the double-inclinedstriker c, to accommodate the beveled end of the vertically-movablespring-latch.

To the side of the door E, and independent of the lock, is fixed a rigidknob or pull, F, which does not turn, and has no connection with thelock mechanism or latch. There is also fixed to the door a key-plate orescuteheon, G, which may or may not be connected with the immovable doorpull or knob.

When the door is pushed to or closed, one of the beveled or inclinedfaces of thelatchOwill come in forcible contact with and ride up andover the adjacent bevel of the striker or catch 0 until it becomesengaged with said d ouble-inclined striker under the action of thespring 0. By pulling on the knob F to open thedoorthe latch C will haveone ofits beveled orinclined faces drawn against and over thecorresponding beveled surface of the striker or catch, the spring 0being compressed until the striker and latch are disengaged.

NVhile the door remains closed the beveled lower edge of thevertically-movable latch 0 will be seated in the center of the double-hrclined striker or catch 0, as shown in Fig. 3, and will thus secure thedoor from accidental opening. By exerting slight traction, however, onthe knob or pull F the door can be readily opened when not locked by thekey-bolt.

In Fig. l the lock and-latch are shown as applied to a door anddoor-frame, which are respectively rabbeted ate and It, to form a closejoint. This construction is of advantage in refrigerators and likesituations where atightlyclosing door is desirable; but the rabbeting ofthe door and frame is not essential, and the lock andlateh can beapplied with equal advantage to the doors of houses and apartments, andin many other situations requiring a springfastening.

It is obvious that by means of the doubleinclined striker or catch a andthe verticallymovable latch 0, having a double bevel on lower edge, thesame lock can be readily used on either a right or left hand doorwithout the trouble of reversing the latch, as is usually required. Forthis reason, also, the lock can be used on doors that are hung to swingin both directions. It is apparent that the relative positions of thespring a, beveled latch G, and

double-inclined catch 6 may be varied, though Iprefer to arrange theseparts as shown in Fig. 2, by which the latch engages its catch with adownward thrust.

By reason of the knob or pull F being immovable and entirelydisconnected from the locking and latching mechanism the construction ofthe lock is greatly simplified, its cost is largely reduced, and theusual liability of disarrangement of parts is avoided, there being nopossibility of the very common injury to the lock or latch incident tojerky rotation of the knob-spindle. Afastening device of thisdescription is also more cheaply and quickly applied than an ordinarylook, as the lock-case can be made smaller than usual, thus doing awaywith much of the labor of mortising the door and boring an opening forthe knob-spindle. By arranging the spring-latch to have avertically-oscillating movement itis enabled to work smoothly with butlittle friction, and is therefore not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is- The combination of alock-casing, provided withapivotedvertically-swinginglatchhaving abeveled or inclined nose, with a rigid knob having no connection withthe latch, a strikerplate having a beveled or inclined seat in which thenose of the latch seats when the door is closed and from which seat thenose is uithdrawn by pulling the knob, and a spring acting on the, latchbetween its pivoted end and its beveled nose, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. CLARK.

\Vit-nesses:

F. A. \VARREN, WM. WAITE.

